A member of a fraudulent spiritual healing network has been arrested by the Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) in Jamalpur following allegations that a schoolgirl was deceived and extorted out of cash and gold ornaments after being drawn into a social media-based scam.
The arrested individual has been identified as Monir Hossain (21), a resident of Char Jatharthapur Chandapara in Lakshmirchar Union under Jamalpur Sadar Upazila. Police stated that he was an active member of a so-called tantric fraud group and was also known as a content creator on a Facebook page titled “Made in Jamalpur”. The victim is an eighth-grade student from a school in Sherpur district, and her father is a cloth trader by profession.
According to information disclosed at a press briefing held on Thursday afternoon at the PBI office in Bagherhat area of Jamalpur town, the girl is the eldest of three siblings. She reportedly felt that she was receiving less affection from her parents compared to her younger siblings, which affected her emotionally. In search of a solution, she turned to social media platforms.
She later came into contact on TikTok with an individual identifying himself as a spiritual healer, Mohammad Khorshed (29). Following this, associates of the group continued communication with her through multiple Imo accounts using names such as “Kobiraj” and “Allah’s Dan”, assuring her that her problems would be resolved through spiritual intervention.
Investigators reported that between 6 and 9 March, the group collected BDT 243,150 from the victim in several instalments via bKash transactions. The payments were made under various pretexts, including fees for spiritual services and the purchase of items such as a goat, prayer mat, incense sticks, candles, milk, and fruit. Subsequently, the group also obtained approximately 27 bhori of gold ornaments belonging to the victim’s family, along with an additional BDT 100,000.
The case came to light when the victim attempted to send further money via a mobile financial services outlet. A shopkeeper reportedly became suspicious due to her age and informed her father, which led to the discovery of the fraudulent activity. The victim’s father subsequently filed a case at Sherpur Police Station.
Following instructions from the Additional Inspector General of PBI Headquarters, Mohammad Mostafa Kamal, the PBI unit in Jamalpur launched an investigation. With the assistance of information technology, a raid was conducted on 9 April in the Maona area of Sripur Upazila in Gazipur, resulting in the arrest of two associates, Musa Mia (29) and Rafiqul Islam (28).
Based on their statements, investigators later conducted another operation in the New Market area of Mymensingh city, where the alleged mastermind Monir Hossain was arrested. Acting on his disclosure, investigators recovered 25 bhori 9 ana 4 roti of gold ornaments buried underground in a garden near his residence.
During the operation, law enforcement also seized five mobile phones, including an iPhone 17 Pro Max. The total estimated value of the recovered assets was reported to be approximately BDT 6.4 million.
Case Summary
| Stage | Event | Location | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6–9 March | Funds collected via mobile transactions | Online communication | BDT 243,150 extorted |
| Subsequent period | Gold and cash taken | Victim’s family | ~27 bhori gold + BDT 100,000 seized |
| 9 April | First raid | Sripur, Gazipur | Two associates arrested |
| Later operation | Main suspect arrested | Mymensingh city | Monir Hossain detained |
| Recovery phase | Hidden assets recovered | Jamalpur area | Gold and mobile phones seized |
Jamalpur PBI Superintendent of Police Pankaj Dutta stated that multiple investigative teams worked on the case, enabling the identification and arrest of those involved, as well as the recovery of the stolen gold ornaments. He added that legal procedures are underway to produce the arrested individuals before the court.